TRACES OF GUILT - That's All Evie Blackwell Needs To Take The Case!

Evie Blackwell excels at her job as a detective in the Illinois State Police force.  So much so, that she is practically writing her own script . . . or job description.  So when a special "cold case" task force is created, the natural go-to to lead the endeavor is Evie.  True to form, her formidable detective skills not only shed light on two cold cases . .. . they also point to a potential third. 

In the meantime, Sheriff Gabriel Thorne is trying to come to grips with the unexpected discoveries . . . both in his jurisdiction, and in his heart.  Could Evie Blackwell hold the key to both?

I fell in love with Dee Henderson . . . the one who wrote the O'Malley series.  And I realize that time has a way of changing a person, but I don't really recognize the Dee Henderson I fell in love with.

The characters changed.  The moods changed.  The writing style has changed, and not in a good way. 

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

COULD THE BOOK OF THE WARS BE THE BEGINNING OF THE END? Read Ronie Kendig's Latest Novel!

“From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, what he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon, and at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.”

Numbers 21:13-15 (KJV)

The Book has been found . . . and the mysteries surrounding said book have military leaderships around the globe scrambling to obtain the book of the wars of the LORD.  Navy Seal  Leif Metcalfe has been given command of his own team, and the opportunity to redeem himself from his previous failure, despite a 6 – month period of time of which he has no recollection. 

Bulgarian operative Iskra “Virorica” Todorova is also seeking the book, for her own personal desire . . . freedom.   However, a series of strange global storms, coupled with dire predictions of future events, have forced Leif and Iskra into an uneasy alliance in order to thwart impending disaster.

In the end, will Leif and Iskra find the freedom they are so desperately seeking? 

I normally devour Ronie Kendig’s writing.  However, I just couldn’t get into this particular book, for several reasons.

The book is large . . . not just in terms of pages.  It’s large in that it covers large areas of planet earth, much of which I’m not familiar with.  It contains many sub-plots, and those sub-plots develop over a large amount of time.  And this is just the first book in the series, which means the requisite “cliff-hanger” ending for this particular novel.

My biggest issue, however, stems from a personal bias – a prejudice, if you will.  I’ve never been a big fan of books that resurrect some obscure passage of scripture, and then unleash poetic license in megaton proportions.  My wife is an author, so I understand the imagination aspect of the craft.  But for me, the practice of eisegesis (reading something into the scriptures that may or may not actually be there) is not good.  God says what he means, and means what he says . . . human conjecture is not really necessary.

Ronie Kendig exhibits her usual nail – biting, gut – wrenching tension in her action scenes, putting the reader “into” the action as no one else can, and she develops the characters and their relationships so real that you feel you could recognize them on the street.  If you are looking to “escape” from reality, you could find no finer writer.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my open and honest review.

STORM RISING

Ronie Kendig

ISBN: 978-0-7642-3187-2

Suspense

Bethany House

381 pages

$15.99  U.S. paperback

SOMETIMES LIFE IS A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW . . . JUST ASK DR. RICHARD L. MABRY, AUTHOR

THE MOODS, THE METHODS, THE MANIFESTATIONS OF THE HUMAN HEART ARE THE STUFF OF WHICH LEGENDS ARE MADE . . . AND NIGHTMARES.

IT WAS SOCRATES WHO DECLARED, “TO KNOW THYSELF IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM.”  TO TRULY UNDERTAKE SUCH AN EXERCISE REQUIRES MORE DISCIPLINE, MORE TENACITY, AND MORE RAW COURAGE THAN MOST OF US CAN MUSTER.  AND YET DR. RICHARD MABRY HAS MANAGED TO DO SO NOT ONCE . .  .NOT TWICE . . . BUT THREE TIMES IN 121 PAGES.

IN BITTER PILL  ONE COMES FACE TO FACE WITH A RELIGIOUS SHYSTER, AN EMPTY PASTOR, AND A STRUGGLING PHYSICIAN.  EACH OF THEM CONTAIN THE SEEDS OF GREATNESS.  EACH OF THEM IS DRINKING THE DREGS OF DOUBT AND DESPAIR.  AND AS THEY CROSS PATHS, AND WANDER INTO EACH OTHER’S LIVES, THE READER DISCOVERS THAT HE IS EXPERIENCING THE GREATEST THRILL KNOWN TO MAN.

IT’S CALLED LIVING.

DR. MABRY CONFESSES IN HIS PREFACE THAT THIS PARTICULAR STORY HAS BEEN SITTING ON THE BACK BURNER INDEFINITELY, BECAUSE A FRIEND WHO KNEW HIM WELL SAID REPEATEDLY, “THIS ISN’T THE TYPICAL RICHARD MABRY NOVEL.”   AND HE'S RIGHT.

IT’S MORE.  IT’S DEEPER.  IT’S BOTH SOBERING AND EXHILARATING.

IT’S SOMETHING I WISH I’D READ EARLIER, AND SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LOVE TO READ AGAIN.

5 STARS FOR YOUR  “NOT SO TYPICAL” RICHARD MABRY NOVEL

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my open and honest review.

BITTER PILL

Dr. Richard Mabry

ISBN: B07QZXILV2

Medical Suspense

Richard L. Mabry

121 pages

$6.99  U.S. paperback/ hardback

THE BIGGEST WIN Is Not What You Think It Is . . . Just Ask THESE Guys!

THE BIGGEST WIN: PRO FOOTBALL PLAYERS TACKLE FAITH

Joshua Cooley

ISBN:978-1-948130-02-8

Religion / Christian Life / Inspirational

New Growth Press

160 pages

Atheletes . . . especially professional atheletes . . . and uniquely, professional football players. . . they live in a world all their own.  If you aren’t one . . . there’s no way that you can even begin to comprehend the lifestyle, the persona, the unbelievable highs – and the inconceivable lows – that are part and parcel of their everyday lives. 

Joshua Cooley interviewed professional football players Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, Zach Ertz, Trey Burton, Jordan Hicks, and Chris Maragos for this book.  In a combined foreword to the book, these men declared, “The pinnacle of life is not winning, it’s living for God through all of the big and small moments of life.  We hope that as you read this book, you too will get to know Jesus and his love for you that stays the same through all the seasons of life.  That would be the biggest win for you . . .”

Dealing with such issues as fame, glory, courage, commitment, pride and humility, THE BIGGEST WIN lifts the curtain and allows those of us who are not professional football players a glimpse of what it’s all about . . . and what it’s not all about, as well.  Underneath the image, the flash, the cash, and the uniform, these men want you to know that there beats a heart that is just as prone to wander as every other one.  Sin gives no quarter, and Satan is no respecter of persons, either.  And the words of Christ are never more appropos:

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”

Luke 12:48 (NKJV)

Carson Wentz is currently working under a 4-year contract worth over $26 million dollars.  Nick Foles, 2 years at $11 million.  Zach Ertz, 4 years and $42.5 million.  Jordan Hicks, 2 years at $2.9 million.  Chris Maragos, 3 years and $6 million.  Trey Burton, 4 years at $32 million.

A combined salary package (excluding all the perks, endorsements, etc) of over $117 million dollars . . . and these guys just want you to come to Christ.  That, for them, is The Biggest Win.

I received this book free in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars for a transparent revelation of faith inside the NFL

STRATAGEM Is Missing A Key Component . . . Strategy

Robin Caroll is a bestselling author of Christian suspense, and has been a favorite author of mine for some time.  Which makes this review very difficult, because I’m still struggling to get into the book . . . and I’m writing the review.

The premise is set around a psychologist, Grayson Thibodeaux, who creates adventure games for businesses as team-building exercises.  In the middle of one such game, his ex-wife, Anna Belle, dies from a severe allergic reaction, even though her allergies were well-known and she had purchased a small arsenal of Epi-pens to ward off such a possibility.

Grayson, being the ex-husband, is naturally the chief suspect.  Especially since the divorce settlement was still being contested by Anna Belle, who felt that Grayson was holding out on her in terms of settlement. 

While it’s an interesting scenario, the book moves at an incredibly slow pace, shifts between past and present times, and the number of red herrings being thrown at the reader resemble a red tide.  Combine that with the fact that the on-again, off-again relationship between the two investigating detectives receives as much attention as the investigation itself, and it’s no surprise that this reader is still hopelessly confused.

3 stars for a book that doesn’t quite live up to its potential

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my open and honest review.

STRATAGEM

Robin Caroll

ISBN: 978-1-68322-730-4

Fiction / Christian / Suspense

Shiloh Press

317 pages

$14.99 U.S. paperback

GOD'S DESIGN (NOT MAN'S) FOR SEXUALITY IN A CHANGING CULTURE

GOD’S DESIGN FOR SEXUALITY IN A CHANGING CULTURE

HARVEST USA

ISBN: 978-1-945270-95-6

RELIGION / Christian Ministry / Counselling

New Growth Press

DVD Video Series

$124.99 U.S.

“Let me tell ya 'bout the birds and the bees

And the flowers and the trees

And the moon up above

And a thing called 'Love'”

                                           Dean Martin - 

                                   The Birds And The Bees 

                                          Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Ok, so maybe that’s not all that’s in this video series.  Maybe, just maybe, you won’t find any of the above in HARVEST, USA’s video series, GOD’S DESIGN FOR HUMAN SEXUALITY IN A CHANGING CULTURE. 

That’s because God’s design for sexuality, and man’s design for sexuality, are diametrically opposed one to the other.  And this series is about God’s design.

A 15-session conference on human sexuality is something that is unusual in today’s society.

A 15-session conference on human sexuality – from a Biblical perspective – well, that’s just plain nuts.

Or is it?

There’s an old proverb, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”  The problem is . . . the world don’t realize that it’s broke! (pardon my grammar.)

And while this may appear to be a (gasp!) BIBLE conference of sorts, who better to sort out one of the most tangled messes than a preacher speaking the truth of Scripture. 

After all . . . sexuality really was God’s idea in the first place, right?  And as with every other aspect of His creation . . . He wrote the manual. 

Covering a veritable potpourri of topics, each one vital to the whole picture, HARVEST, USA has produced a video series that manages to encapsulate in 15 sessions the entire landscape of human sexuality from a biblical perspective.  And they do so in a clear, concise, comprehensive manner which communicates truth and commands respect.

The order of the videos is somewhat puzzling.  Sessions 7 and 8 address what God says about human sexuality in the Old and New Testaments, respectively.  That, to me, seems to be foundational and should be viewed first.  In fact, the first 8 sessions are all “foundational,” so to speak.  The next 7 sessions are more topical in nature, although no series ever goes forward without a biblical foundation, which I find important and refreshing.

Another strength that I find in this video series is the open-endedness.  You can take this series and organize a full-blown conference . . . or you can address the specific issues individually, as time and concerns allow.  Either way, you will be getting the truth . . . and the truth will set you free.

5 stars for an outstanding production on a sensitive subject

I received this video series free of charge in exchange for my open and honest review.

You Shall Know The Truth . . . And The Truth Shall Set You Free!

Awkward.  Embarrassing.  Fearful.  Shameful.  Intimidating.

Any – or all – of these adjectives are inextricably tied to the discussion of sexuality in Christian circles.  Primarily because the Christian perspective and the current postmodern worldview have been, are, and will continue to be – more than any other subject – at the very extreme opposite ends of the spectrum.

HARVEST, USA is leading the charge for change.  They are calling everyone’s attention to the elephant in the room.  With a balanced approach – combining both wisdom and understanding – and firmly based on Scriptural principles, the leaders in this movement carefully, creatively, and confidently address the issue of sexuality and the subjects of pornography, masturbation, transgenderism, abortion, and others head on, recognizing that “All truth is God’s truth . . . wherever it be found.”1

Jesus himself promised, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  (John 8:32 (NKJV).

That is all that HARVEST, USA is really trying to do.  They are not bashing people, they are not trying to make sexuality the next subject for a “witch hunt,” nor are they trying to “ruin everyone’s fun.”  And they are most certainly not trying to turn the evangelical community into a 21^st century cloister, where men are men . . . women are women . . . and nary the twain shall meet.

Taking a BIBLICAL perspective (emphasis mine), HARVEST, USA is promoting and teaching a BIBLICAL theology (again, emphasis mine) of human sexuality, with the goal of setting people free to enjoy one of the most intimate, and most pleasurable, activities under God’s green earth.

The volume I received for review contained both the Student Guide and the Leader’s Guide.  The first three sessions should be covered in order, as they are foundational to the program.  From that point on, the leader(s) is/are free to cover the material in any order they see fit.  This allows the opportunity to address pressing issues, while setting some issues “on the back burner,” so to speak.  This also allows the “guide” to be put in the pastor’s / counselor’s library as a concise “go-to” resource for future reference.

Another attractive feature to this guide is that scenarios are carefully written to address the topic at hand with regard to differences between genders, and difficult or potentially embarrassing terms are carefully and candidly defined and explained. 

HARVEST, USA isn’t promoting “taking the bull by the horns,” so much as they are “taking the child by the hand.”

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my open and honest review.

5 stars for a refreshingly realistic, Biblical approach to human sexuality.

ALIVE: Gospel Sexuality For Students

HARVEST USA

ISBN: 978-1-945270-91-8

RELIGION / Christian Ministry / Youth

New Growth Press

167 pages

$15.99  U.S. paperback

1  THE IDEA OF A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, Arthur F. Holmes, Wm. B. Eerdman's, 1987